Oct. 28, 2024

UC IRVINE NEWS

New esports recruits boost intercollegiate gaming program

Valorant player Lacey Dilworth (right), known as “L4CE,” and League of Legends player Jett Joye, known as “Srtty”

UC Irvine is steadily boosting its investment in college esports. According to Mark Deppe, director of UC Irvine Esports, the program offers scholarships ranging from $3,000 to $6,000 annually and boasts a state-of-the-art esports arena, making it an attractive option for gamers looking to balance education and competition. Among the standout recruits this year are Lacey Dilworth (above right), a 19-year-old Valorant athlete from San Francisco, and Jett Joye (left), an Australian League of Legends player who transferred here from St. Louis University.

Law School celebrates opening of civil rights center

From left to right: Dr. Karen Korematsu, Sylvia Mendez, Professor Robert S. Chang, Jeannie Berwick, Jim Degel, and UC Irvine Law Dean and Chancellor’s Professor of Law Austen Parrish

On Oct. 23, the School of Law hosted a celebration marking the official opening of the Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality on campus. The program featured remarks from law professor Robert S. Chang, (third from left above), the center’s executive director, and Dr. Karen Korematsu (far left), founder and president of the Fred T. Korematsu Institute, and others. In addition to formally welcoming the Korematsu Center to UC Irvine, Dean Austen Parrish (above right, next to Jeannie Berwick and Jim Degel of the Berwick Degel Family Foundation), announced the establishment of the Sylvia Mendez Presidential Chair for Civil Rights, which was bestowed upon Chang. The chair’s namesake (second from left above) is a renowned civil rights advocate whose landmark case, Mendez v. Westminster School District of Orange County, played a crucial role in ending school segregation in California.

$1 million gift establishes pediatric ophthalmology fellowship

Dr. Donny Suh (left) and Dr. John Graether

After a five-decade career as a pioneering ophthalmologist and medical innovator, John Graether has donated $1 million for the training of pediatric ophthalmologists at UC Irvine. A cataract specialist, Graether is best known for developing several commonly used surgical tools. The Irene and John Graether, M.D. Endowed Vision Fellowship will support ophthalmologists coming to UC Irvine for a yearlong training in pediatric eye surgeries – ranging from treating preemies with detached retinas to teens and young adults with strabismus, or crossed eyes. The fellows will be mentored by the pediatric ophthalmology team led by Graether’s protégé, Dr. Donny Suh, chief and professor of pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus at the School of Medicine and the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute.

UC NEWS

UC students get out the vote

Students across the UC system are organizing voter registration campaigns in advance of the Nov. 5 election. Among the advocates highlighted in a recent story about the effort is UC Irvine’s Rebecca Angela Ruiz, a Ph.D. student in criminology, law and society who sees the upcoming election as a way for the UC community to come back together in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. “The last two elections during the pandemic, we couldn’t have a personal presence. It was all email and social media outreach,” said Ruiz. “Going into this voting season, it was nice to plan ways to actually get out there and talk to people.”

#IamUCI

UCI Health ophthalmologist named one of country’s best

Dr. Sumit Garg

Dr. Sumit Garg is one of 15 ophthalmologists and 50 healthcare professionals in the country to be named in the 2024 Healio Honors program, which recognizes clinicians who go above and beyond for their patients, as voted by their peers. The medical director of the UCI Health Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, Garg is a nationally recognized expert in the most advanced techniques in cataract, corneal, conjunctival and refractive surgery, and intraocular lens implants. Per the program’s writeup: “Dr. Garg’s dedication to patient-centered care and his innovative treatment strategies have profoundly impacted the field of ophthalmology, elevating the standard of care for patients with complex corneal conditions.”

#UCIconnected spotlights interesting updates from the UC Irvine community. #IamUCI spotlights profiles of students, faculty, staff and alumni. Send submissions via email or post on social media with the #UCIconnected or #IamUCI hashtags.

UC IRVINE NEWSMAKERS

Note: Some news sites require subscriptions to read articles. UCI Libraries offers free subscriptions to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Orange County Register and The Washington Post for students, faculty and staff.